FISHES OF NEW YORK 613 



In the vicinity of Woods Hole Mass. according to Dr Smith, it 

 occurs every year; some years rather scarce, some years abun- 

 dant. In 1897 it was extremely numerous in July and August, 

 and several hundred were often taken in one day in the seine. 

 It may often be obtained under gulf weed, but is usually most 

 plentiful in eelgrass and rockweed. No large fish are observed, 

 the size ranging from 1 inch to nearly 4 inches. The smallest 

 are rather uniformly dull brownish or greenish yellow in color, 

 but those 3 or 4 inches long are mottled with white and several 

 shades of dark green. In aquaria, small filefish often annoy 

 and injure other fish, biting their fins, eyes, and other parts. 



At Beesley's Point N. J. the writer seined an individual, Aug. 

 23, 1887, which had several parasites attached to the fins. 



Genus alutera Cuvier 



Body oblong or rather elongate, strongly compressed, covered 

 with minute, rough scales; mouth and teeth essentially as in 

 M n a c a n t h u s , but the lower jaw more projecting, so that 

 the lower teeth are directed obliquely upward and backward; 

 gill opening an oblique slit, longer than eye, situated below and 

 in advance of eye, its posterior end behind base of pectorals; 

 pelvic bone long, falcate, movable under the skin, without spine 

 at its extremity; dorsal spine small, inserted over the eye, rough, 

 but without barbs; soft dorsal and anal long, each of 36 to 50 

 rays; caudal fin convex; pectorals small. 



Subgenus ceratacanthus Gill 



297 Alutera schoepfii (Walbaum) 



Orange Filefish 



Ballstcs schoepfii Walbaum, Art. Gen. Pise. 461, 1792, Long Island. 

 Balistes utirantiacvs Mitchill, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 4G8, pi. VI, 



fig. 1, 1815, New York; adult. 

 Balistes cuspicauda Mitchill, Am. Month. Mag. II, 326, March, 1818, 



New York; young. 

 Alvtei'cs cuspicanda De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 338, pi. 59, fig. 192, 



1842, New York; young. 

 M on acanthus anrantiacns Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 254, 1870. 

 Alutera schoepffi Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 858, 1883; 



Bean, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 134, 1888. 



